By Natasha Korecki (nkorecki@politico.com; @natashakorecki) and Kristen East (keast@politico.com; @kristenicoleast)

Good Wednesday morning, Illinois.

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THE BUZZ — J.B. Pritzker endured one of the worst days of his gubernatorial campaign on Tuesday as he worked to explain unflattering remarks about African Americans in a recorded conversation with former Gov. Rod Blagojevich.

In the 2008 recording, Pritzker urges Blagojevich to appoint secretary of state Jesse White to Barack Obama’s seat in the Senate, saying White was the “least offensive” choice among those mentioned and that it would cover Blago on “the African American thing.” Pritzker urged Blagojevich against appointing former state Senate President Emil Jones, saying he was too “crass.”

Pritzker held a 21-minute news conference Tuesday, with White and other African American elected officials at his side, to apologize. “On that call, I was not my best self,” Pritzker said. “I can be better. I have been better and I can do better and I have.”

It meant little to Jones, whose response gave us this Sun-Times cover: “Shove it up your Crass”(Jones is supporting Chris Kennedy in the gubernatorial primary.)

FALLOUT —Pritzker field organizer Kina Collinsquit his campaign team after learning of the recording, posting this statement on Facebook: “I am no longer apart of the JB Pritzker for Governor campaign. I resigned this morning. I will not stand by a candidate who feels that way about Black folks. Character is not what you do when the whole world is watching, character is what you do when no one is watching. I think we can continue to contribute to the problematic fabric of politics especially in IL or we can take a stand. I stand with the people. I withdraw my support and endorsement for him as Governor.” Pritzker’s campaign responded: “We certainly respect Kina’s feelings on this matter and are sad to see her go from the campaign.”

ABC-7’s Craig Wall: “Pritzker had recently been invited to speak at Sweet Holy Spirit Church, but Bishop Larry Trotter has now dis-invited him. "For Pritzker to refer to (Emil Jones) as 'crass' is a slap in the face to every African American in Illinois. Just to think we are six days into Black History Month and a candidate for governor thinks it’s funny to join in on such derogatory discussions about our leaders," Trotter said.” Story here

Pritzker’s opponents declared him unelectable and there’s no telling what kind of impact this could have at the polls. There’s also a question about what other tapes are out there.

Still, it wasn’t enough to stop today’s endorsement: Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle will become the latest African American elected official to back Pritzker for governor.

“I’ve seen JB’s record and I know what’s in his heart,” Preckwinkle said in a statement. “This is a leader who has been there for our communities. From expanding early childhood education and providing school breakfasts to low-income students, to supporting critical organizations like the Center on Wrongful Convictions, the DuSable Museum, and After School Matters, JB has done the real work to build opportunity in our communities. Right now, the only question our community should be asking is who has a record of showing up for us, and I truly believe that JB is that leader.”

EMIL JONES: ‘HE’S LIKE A ONE-EYED JACK’ — Sun-Times’ Fran Spielman: “Pritzker showed his ‘true colors’ when he told Rod Blagojevich in a secretly recorded conversation that Jones was too ‘crass’ to fill Barack Obama’s Senate seat, Jones said Tuesday. “He’s been running around the black community talking about all the things he’s gonna do. Blah, blah, blah. … He’s trying to buy the black vote. He’s like a one-eyed jack. But, those tapes show you the other side of his face. This is what he really thinks about black folks,” said Jones, who has endorsed Chris Kennedy for governor. “What he meant by ‘crass’ is that I’m an uppity black. I fight for my people and, sometimes, that ruffles feathers. What he was saying in comparing me to Jesse White is that Jesse White is a safe black. Jesse White is not gonna do what Emil Jones does. Dr. King was a crass black. Harold Washington was a crass black. It was said in a derogatory manner.” Story here

IVES CAN FORGET ABOUT THIS ENDORSEMENT — “Editorial: Ms. Ives, here is what’s wrong with your ad,” Chicago Tribune Editorial Board: “Republican state Rep. Jeanne Ives, who wants to be governor of Illinois, campaigned into controversy a few days ago by releasing a television commercial that disturbed a lot of people, us included …The ad goes well beyond tweaking Rauner. It mocks and belittles Illinois residents who shouldn’t face derision from a gubernatorial candidate. Ives is punching down, and in a way that strikes many voters as intolerant of people who already face a lot of that ... now with the TV commercial we have a fuller understanding of Ives’ views. She wants to be governor of all the people, yet she reveals a side of her character that’s unbecoming of an elected leader. Ives disparages the LGBT community to ignite her campaign. What’s offensive? The ad doesn’t dwell on her policy positions. Its scoffing tone shows that Ives believes people who are different from her are fair game for ridicule. That’s a problem for someone who wants to be governor.” Story here

Personal PAC today plays off the Ives ad in a Facebook campaign that goes live today: Watch

STATE

— “New Illinois law could mean cash bail set in fewer cases,” by Herald-Whig’s Matt Hopf: “Courts in Illinois have had one month to adjust to changes in how bond must be handled after new rules took effect Jan. 1. The changes require that anyone brought before court has the presumption of a nonmonetary bond, meaning a cash bail necessarily won't be set. Signed by Gov. Bruce Rauner last summer, the Bail Reform Act requires courts to consider a person's socioeconomic circumstances when setting conditions of release or imposing monetary bail. That means more people facing nonviolent misdemeanor or low-level felonies, such as theft, drug possession and driving under the influence, could be released on recognizance bonds. It does not apply to violent crime, sex crimes and domestic batteries.” Story here

— “US court considers potentially landmark LGBT housing case,” by AP’s Michael Tarm: “An appeals court heard arguments Tuesday in a potentially landmark case in which a 70-year-old lesbian accuses a suburban Chicago senior living center of doing nothing to stop fellow residents from hurling homophobic slurs at her, spitting on her and even striking her because of her sexual orientation. Marsha Wetzel, who moved to the Glen Saint Andrew Living Community in Niles after her partner of 30 years died in 2013, was told by one resident that ‘homosexuals will burn in hell;’ another intentionally rammed her scooter with a walker, toppling her and bruising her arm, filings by her attorneys allege. A three-judge panel of the 7th U.S. Court of Appeals in Chicago heard oral arguments in the case Tuesday, one year after trial-level Judge Samuel Der-Yeghiayan tossed the lawsuit, saying Wetzel hadn’t shown that administrators themselves displayed ‘any discriminatory animus, motive or intent.’ If the court revives Wetzel’s lawsuit, the case could help establish that Fair Housing Act protections cover LGBT tenants harassed by other tenants. The panel is expected to rule within the next several weeks.” Story here

— “Demand high for state private school scholarships,” by WBEZ’s Linda Lutton: “Illinois’ new taxpayer-funded private school scholarship program is just getting started, but one thing is already clear: demand for the scholarships far outstrips supply. A website to submit scholarship applications crashed last week after more than 24,000 parents eager to sign up logged on within minutes of the application opening, according to Empower Illinois, a private group overseeing the majority of the state scholarship money. The technology snafu has trapped $34 million — 75 percent of the $45 million in donations pledged so far — and left tens of thousands of Illinois families temporarily unable to apply. And earlier last month, Big Shoulders Fund, another scholarship organization distributing state money, opened its application for the tax credit scholarships but closed it 40 hours later after receiving more than 12,000 applications.” Story here

— “Illinois judge dismisses public-pay abortion challenge, appeal next,” by AP’s John O’Connor: “An Illinois judge dealt a blow to anti-abortion groups Thursday, dismissing a lawsuit aimed at stopping a law that's about to take effect that would expand Medicaid and state-employee group health insurance to cover abortions. Associate Circuit Judge Jennifer Ascher ruled that the judiciary should not intervene in ‘political questions’ in the General Assembly, such as a law's effective date or whether there's an appropriation to fund it. Those are the pillars of the lawsuit seeking to stop the law from taking effect Monday. It was filed by the Catholic Thomas More Society on behalf of 11 conservative and Christian groups and a dozen legislators.” Story here

CHICAGO

— “Penny Pritzker’s firm gets a name change and a new office. What’s next?” by Crain’s Chicago Business’ Lynne Marek: “Billionaire Chicago businesswoman Penny Pritzker is rebooting her investment firm by moving to a bigger West Loop location and rebranding it with a slightly new name, PSP Partners. Pritzker, who returned to Chicago last year after serving as commerce secretary in the Obama administration for three and a half years, this week moved her firm, formerly known as PSP Capital, to a 40,000-square-foot office at 444 W. Lake St. That will give her operation about 60 percent more space than it had at 300 N. LaSalle St.” Story here

DELEGATION

— “Duckworth: 2018 is past time to get real on paid leave,” by Sen. Tammy Duckworth for CNN: “Two weeks ago, I announced that I am pregnant. Since there are only 22 female senators -- and none has ever given birth while they served in the United States Senate -- I knew my announcement was going to get some attention. To be honest, I was a little surprised and overwhelmed by just how much attention our good news received. … But let's be real: It's 2018. Women have been having children since the beginning of humanity and I'm nowhere near the first person to be a working mom. Millions of women do it every day and women have been balancing the demands of their jobs and their families ever since female trailblazers first joined the working world.” Story here

— “Sen. Tammy Duckworth: ‘Cadet Bone Spurs’ won’t tell me when to clap,” by HuffPost’s Rebecca Shapiro: “Iraq War veteran and U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) criticized President Donald Trump for calling Democrats who did not clap during his State of the Union address ‘treasonous’ on Monday. ‘We don’t live in a dictatorship or a monarchy,’ Duckworth tweeted soon after he made the comment. ‘I swore an oath ― in the military and in the Senate ― to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States, not to mindlessly cater to the whims of Cadet Bone Spurs and clap when he demands I clap.’” Story here

AROUND THE COLLARS

— “6 restaurants announced for new Woodfield Mall dining pavilion,” by The Daily Herald’s Eric Peterson: “Blaze Fast Fire'd Pizza, Chipotle Mexican Grill and Charley's Philly Steaks are among the first six restaurants of more than a dozen fast-casual options expected in Woodfield Mall's new dining pavilion opening this summer. They'll be joined by Maoz Falafel and Grill, Suki Hana and Wok A Holic, mall officials say. The new pavilion, first announced in January 2017, will be on the upper level of the Sears wing with large windows providing outdoor views and natural light. The pavilion will expand on the more than 30 existing restaurants scattered throughout the mall.” Story here

— “4 Chicago suburbs among best cities to raise kids, study says,” by NBC Chicago: “It takes a village to raise a child – and according to a new ranking, a few of the best villages in the country are right here in the Chicago area. Four suburbs are among the top 100 cities in the U.S. to raise kids, the National Council for Home Safety and Security announced Monday. The organization, a trade association of home security professionals, said 526 cities were considered in its analysis.” Story here

AG’s RACE

— “AG candidates agree on issues, spar on ethics,” by State Journal-Register’s Brenden Moore: “The Democrats vying to succeed Attorney General Lisa Madigan fought it out at a forum in Springfield Monday night, agreeing on most of the substantive issues while sniping at one another over campaign contributions and perceived conflicts of interest. The mood at the forum, hosted by the Illinois Democratic County Chairs’ Association at The Hoogland Center for the Arts, was cordial for most of the night but grew heated as the crowded field sought to differentiate themselves from one another.” Story here

— “Early voting delayed across Chicago area,” by AP’s Sophia Tareen: “Millions of voters in the Chicago area could see a nearly two-week delay in the start of early voting over ongoing candidate ballot challenges, election officials said Monday. Early voting was slated to start across Illinois on Thursday. However, due to objections to several candidates’ paperwork that haven’t been resolved, ballots won’t be ready on time, said Chicago Board of Election Commissioners spokesman Jim Allen. He estimated early voting will be available Feb. 21, possibly earlier.” Story here

GOVERNOR’s RACE

— “Rauner finally goes negative with anti-Ives ad,” by Crain’s Chicago Business’ Greg Hinz: “There's nothing like a $2 million pickax aimed right at your nose to get your attention. That's the story behind Gov. Bruce Rauner's decision today to stop ignoring his increasingly active GOP primary foe, state Rep. Jeanne Ives, and instead to challenge her head-on in the traditional form: negative TV ads. Rauner's campaign today confirmed that it has launched its first anti-Ives spot, titled ‘Madigan's Favorite Republican,’ which accuses the conservative Wheaton lawmaker of being tight with the Democratic House speaker because she has said she would not have personally attacked him as "corrupt" in the way Rauner has.” Story here

— “Pritzker apologizes for remarks on African-American politicians, says he wasn’t ‘my best self’ on Blagojevich wiretaps,” by Chicago Tribune’s Rick Pearson, John Byrne and Monique Garcia: “Democratic governor candidate J.B. Pritkzer apologized Tuesday for remarks he made in 2008 about African-American politicians with then-Gov. Rod Blagojevich during a discussion about filling Barack Obama’s U.S. Senate seat. The apology came less than a day after the conversation, which had never before been publicly revealed, was published by the Chicago Tribune. The chat between Pritzker and Blagojevich came from from secret government wiretaps that were part of the federal corruption investigation of the now-imprisoned former governor.” Story here

— “Rauner says Ives ‘might be Mike Madigan’s favorite Republican’ in new ad,” by Chicago Sun-Times’ Tina Sfondeles: “Gov. Bruce Rauner will run statewide ads dubbing Republican primary rival State Rep. Jeanne Ives ‘Madigan’s Favorite Republican.’ Rauner had largely avoided speaking about his rival or appearing in the same room with her — except for one joint appearance at the Chicago Tribune. But a controversial new ad that Ives is running statewide targeting the governor — and a $2 million infusion of cash from conservative donor and Lake Forest business magnate Richard Uihlein — perhaps changed his tune.” Story here

—Daniel Biss on Twitter: “.@BruceRauner has been a great governor — for the University of Wisconsin. We need to reinvest in our public college and universities and make them tuition-free. It’s the right path forward for the Illinois economy.”

TODAY: Biss will hold a news conference with the Illinois chapter of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) in Springfield.

PLEASE READ THIS ONE TO THE END — “At some deathbeds, like Mary Frances Fagan’s, friends can be family,” by Chicago Tribune’s Mary Schmich: “A few weeks after she collapsed outside the door of her Gold Coast condo, where she was found unconscious by the overnight doorman, Mary Frances Fagan sent an email to 30 of her friends. “It takes a village to raise a child and a whole lot of supportive family and friends to deal with a major health issue such as I have,” she wrote. It was February 2017, and she had just been diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor that made it hard to speak and walk. “My pledge,” her email went on, “is to do all possible to get past this part of my life and be able to laugh, love, drink Scotch and travel.” A year later, on Sunday, Feb. 4, Fagan died. Fagan — who was known for her mink coats, jewelry and Chanel No. 5, as well as for her dedication to her work and colleagues — had no relatives in the state, but in the past year, her friends rallied around, right up until her dying day, making her death a lesson in the value of friendship at the end of a life.” Column here

MEDIA

— “DNAinfo alums to launch Block Club Chicago news site,” by Robert Feder: “Three editors from the former DNAinfo Chicago are reuniting to start up a new neighborhood news website to be funded by reader subscriptions. Block Club Chicago is expected to be launched in April as a nonprofit venture that picks up where DNAinfo left off when it was abruptly shut down in November by billionaire backer Joe Ricketts. ‘When DNAinfo Chicago closed, the outpouring of love and support from Chicago overwhelmed us,’ said Shamus Toomey, former managing editor of DNAinfo, who’ll be editor-in-chief of Block Club Chicago. ‘We knew people trusted us and counted on us, and we were so honored when readers told us we were a part of their lives. That’s when we knew we had to keep it going. We really feel we have a unique opportunity.’ Co-founders of Block Club Chicago with Toomey are Jen Sabella, former deputy editor and director of social media at DNAinfo, and Stephanie Lulay, former senior editor at DNAinfo. Sabella will serve as director of strategy, and Lulay will serve as managing editor.” Story here

Lunch & Learn with Kurt Summers - Renew Chicago - City Treasurer, Kurt Summers, will present on Chicago's plans for investing in under-resourced neighborhoods and give an overview of the city finances.

Where’s Rauner? delivers remarks at the Illinois Bankers Association’s Economic Investment Day in Springfield; joins Canadian PM Justin Trudeau for a Bilateral Meeting in Chicago

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